By Jones Gadama
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) is celebrating a Spotlight recognition in the United Nations Development Programme Atlas of Innovation in Public Communication for its “Weaving the Web of Truth” campaign during the 2025 General Election.
Yes, the Atlas received 173 applications from 50 countries and selected MEC among the top 20, noting its use of radio, TV, SMS, social media and community networks and claiming voter turnout rose to 76.4% in 2025 from 64.8% in 2020. On paper, that sounds like success.
In reality, this award is meaningless to Malawians in Nsanje South and Mangochi East who have no representation in Parliament because MEC has failed to do its most basic job.
MEC’s recognition only counts on paper because on the ground MEC is entangled in unnecessary battles of its own making.
The Commission failed to hold fresh parliamentary elections in Nsanje South and Mangochi East after court orders. These constituencies were scheduled to vote on 29th September 2026.
MEC postponed indefinitely, blaming the sealing of its Njewa warehouse in Lilongwe over unpaid rentals. The warehouse holds critical electoral materials and remains sealed after a Warrant of Distress for Rent dated 29th June 2026.
In Nsanje South, the High Court in Blantyre nullified MEC’s corrigendum that had declared DPP candidate Thomson Kamangira winner after initially declaring independent candidate Ramuzani Mahommed winner.
The court ordered fresh elections. MEC has defied that order not through legal argument but through failure to pay rent.
What makes this failure even more shameful is that there was a clear solution.
The Executive issued a directive asking MEC to relocate to Blantyre where rentals are fairly cheap and government premises are available.
Instead of clinging to an expensive private warehouse in Lilongwe, MEC could have used government property in Blantyre.
Yet MEC is reluctant to relocate. Its Lilongwe headquarters itself is now facing eviction over K274.8 million in unpaid rent.
The landlord has obtained a court order giving MEC seven days to pay or face repossession. Meanwhile the Njewa warehouse remains sealed.
So MEC cannot access ballot boxes, cannot access materials, cannot hold elections, yet refuses to move to Blantyre where space is ready.
The cost of this stubbornness is being paid by ordinary people in Nsanje.
Section 62 of the Constitution says every constituency must be represented. Nsanje South has no MP today.
That means no development funds follow-up, no voice in the National Assembly, no one to push for roads, hospitals and relief when floods hit the Shire Valley.
MEC is effectively punishing the people of Nsanje South for MEC’s own financial mismanagement.
By failing to comply with court orders and failing to relocate, MEC has turned a rental dispute into a constitutional violation.
Attorney General Frank Mbeta and Minister of Lands Honourable Chimwemwe Chipungu have both made it clear that government is not obliged to pay rent for the sealed Njewa warehouse because MEC leases it directly.
MEC admitted its lease expired on 31st March 2026 and it has been holding over while waiting for authorization.
If MEC had obeyed the order to relocate to Blantyre, Nsanje South would have had its election.
Instead MEC chose to stay in expensive Lilongwe, failed to pay, got sealed, and now uses the sealing as an excuse.
This is why the UNDP recognition rings hollow. You cannot be celebrated globally for communication while locally you fail to communicate a simple election calendar to voters in Nsanje South and Mangochi East.
You cannot claim to strengthen transparency and trust while locking democracy materials in a warehouse you cannot afford and refusing a cheaper government alternative in Blantyre.
The current leadership of MEC including Chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja and all commissioners must take responsibility and resign for failing Malawians.
They have failed to safeguard materials, failed to budget, failed to relocate, and failed the voter.
MEC must relocate to Blantyre immediately as directed, restore access to its operations, and hold the Nsanje South and Mangochi East by-elections without further delay, lest there be total mess and complete loss of public confidence in the electoral body.
